Japanese politician's Gundam cosplay prompts Bandai Namco statement

Bandai Namco, the producer and publisher of the Gundam franchise, has issued a statement clarifying the franchise’s position with regard to the 2025 House of Councillors election taking place in Japan.

The statement comes in response to the criticism against Reiwa Shinsengumi party leader Taro Yamamoto for his use of the Gundam cosplay in his election campaign. Taking note of the matter, Bandai Namco issued a statement, in which its made its position clear without naming any particular individual.

As per Dexerto, the statement issued by Bandai Namco on July 22 read:

“In the 2025 House of Councillors election, there were candidates who are doing election activities using cosplay-style costumes that image or strongly recall the characters of the Gundam series…It is not approved by Bandai Namco, and we do not support specific candidates.”

The controversy erupted on July 18 after Taro Yamamoto, a prominent politician from the left wing populist outfit Reiwa Shinsengumi party, posted a campaign video on the internet. In the particular campaign video, Yamamoto appears in a skit alongside Maya Okamoto, a Reiwa candidate in the then-upcoming elections.

The skit performed by the two politicians for the campaign video was shot against the backdrop of the Unicorn Gundam statue in Tokyo. Even though the video did not make any outright reference to the costume, Dexerto noted that the costume worn by Yamamoto and the mannerisms he put on display were strikingly similar to the character Quattro Bajeena from Mobile Suit Gundam.

Ever since July 18, the campaign video has become a viral talking point on the internet. As per Dexerto, the video has surpassed 10 millions views on X.

However, it is important to note here that not all reactions have been positive. In fact, Yamamoto has faced intense criticism from fans of the Gundam franchise. Yamamoto has been criticized for exploiting the popularity of Gundam for political gains.

About Gundam and Bandai Namco

Gundam, created by Yoshiyuki Tomino, was launched in 1979 by Sunrise, the present film division of Bandai Namco. Ever since its launch, Gundam has changed the landscape of Japanese media and culture. Gundam is known for making the “Real Robot” anime genre popular in Japan, as per Comic Book.

Bandai Namco, which itself formed in 2006 after the merger of Bandai and Namco, is responsible for the diversification of the Gundam Franchise. At present, Bandai Namco also oversees the evolution of the franchise into a significant player in the video game and merchandise industry.

Mobile Suit Gundam, the first anime television series in the Gundam franchise, was released in the late 70s.

Mobile Suite Gundam the Witch from Mercury Season 1 is in Super Robot Wars Y!

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During a conversation with Anime News Network, Tomino commented on the widespread popularity of the Gundam franchise, and said,

“By creating this new new phrase, “Mobile Suit,” I think we were able to give the Gundam series a completely different aspect that differentiated it from the robot stories that seemed to be only for children. I believe we were able to develop a fan base that viewed these mobile suit robots as very different from what had come before. In fact, in Japan, when we look at the Gundam series, we don't look at them as robot stories, but as real robot stories that are considered a slightly different subgenre.”

As per Hypebeast, Gundam released a YouTube movie called G40 Project to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Mobile Suit Gundam in 2020.